10 2000s Rock Albums You Constantly Have To Defend Loving

Coldplay's third LP is either a moving piece of pop rock or an insufferably cheesy stinker depending on who one asks.

First released back in 2005, 'X&Y' saw the post-Britpop favorites moving into more stadium-friendly fare with sweeping power ballads such as 'Fix You'. The track, inspired by frontman Chris Martin's relationship with, and eventual marriage to, Gwyneth Paltrow, focuses on the lyrical narrator working to help his partner overcome the grief of losing a parent. While critics enjoyed the track, the song became widely derided for being overly sentimental.

The back-and-forth between critical acclaim and sentimentalist dismissal sums the album and it's present reputation up to a tee. Regardless of the anaemic, often sappy lyricism, what can't be denied when it comes to 'X&Y' is the high-level production value. The songs brim with energy and crisp pacing, with tunes such as 'Talk' providing listeners catchy beats and riffs that can easily get stuck in the mind for some time after listening.

Despite its numerous flaws, this blockbuster success is easy to defend on the merit front considering the impressive growth Coldplay showed in regards to their overall sound.